Correspondence issued by the Department of Agriculture to approved Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) advisers shows that 5,787 ACRES participants have been overpaid to the tune of €10.06m via interim payments.
The calculation of balancing payments carried out to date by the Department of Agriculture shows that over 80% of the overpayments concern 4,748 ACRES co-operation participants with the balance of 1,039 general participants. Table 1 details a breakdown of the amount of overpayment and number of participants within each repayment bracket. An overpayment of €100 or less will not be recouped and these participants will not receive correspondence in this regard.
To recap on interim payments, Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue sanctioned a flat rate interim payment in February 2024 to participants who had not yet received their advance payments. The interim payments, worth €5,000 to co-operation participants and €4,000 to general participants, were made to “address concerns that delays in ACRES advance payments were causing cashflow difficulties on farms”.
Repayment options
The Department has informed advisers that letters will be sent to participants that were overpaid. This letter will outline payment options as follows:
Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT).Phone – debit/credit card payments can be made over the phone by contacting the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine’s Cash Office at +353-049-4352053.Online – debit/credit card payments can be made using the Department of Agriculture’s online financial self-services facility, available on your online services account.Cheque/bank draft/postal order.Recouped from the next Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine payments.The Department correspondence states “it is noted that, for most ACRES participants, the next payment to issue to them from the Department will be under the Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) intervention in September this year. The letter advises that if the options above do not suit the participant, they may contact the Department to have the overpayment deducted from their next ACRES payments, rather than the ANC payment”. The correspondence adds that participants must contact the Department’s Accounts Division on 049-4368207, or by e-mail at acresoverpayments@agriculture.gov.ie, to make repayment arrangements. It states that if no contact is made, the ACRES overpayment will be deducted from the next scheme payment due.
Scorecard summaries
There was also an update given on the long-awaited scorecard results from lands scored in 2023. The correspondence advises that participants who have a results-based action will receive their scorecard summary over the coming weeks, once their ACRES payment for 2023 has been finalised.
“These summaries will be available in the document manager in their AgFood account from the week starting 29 July 2024, followed by a hard copy by post. The scorecard summary will set out the scores achieved for each parcel, with management tips on how to maintain or improve the score achieved and hence potentially increase payments in subsequent years.”
Balancing ACRES payments commenced at the end of June and up to 9 July 2023, €26.2m has been paid to 31,808 participants.
“As there are currently 45,060 active participants who entered the scheme under Tranche 1, the number of participants still to receive their balancing payment in respect of 2023 is 13,252 and these payments will continue to issue fortnightly, as contracts clear pre-payment checks. To note, these 13,252 participants, who are awaiting their balancing payment, have already received either an advance or an interim payment, except for a small number with contract issues.”
Correspondence issued by the Department of Agriculture to approved Agri-Climate Rural Environment Scheme (ACRES) advisers shows that 5,787 ACRES participants have been overpaid to the tune of €10.06m via interim payments.
The calculation of balancing payments carried out to date by the Department of Agriculture shows that over 80% of the overpayments concern 4,748 ACRES co-operation participants with the balance of 1,039 general participants. Table 1 details a breakdown of the amount of overpayment and number of participants within each repayment bracket. An overpayment of €100 or less will not be recouped and these participants will not receive correspondence in this regard.
To recap on interim payments, Minister for Agriculture Charlie McConalogue sanctioned a flat rate interim payment in February 2024 to participants who had not yet received their advance payments. The interim payments, worth €5,000 to co-operation participants and €4,000 to general participants, were made to “address concerns that delays in ACRES advance payments were causing cashflow difficulties on farms”.
Repayment options
The Department has informed advisers that letters will be sent to participants that were overpaid. This letter will outline payment options as follows:
Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT).Phone – debit/credit card payments can be made over the phone by contacting the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine’s Cash Office at +353-049-4352053.Online – debit/credit card payments can be made using the Department of Agriculture’s online financial self-services facility, available on your online services account.Cheque/bank draft/postal order.Recouped from the next Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine payments.The Department correspondence states “it is noted that, for most ACRES participants, the next payment to issue to them from the Department will be under the Areas of Natural Constraints (ANC) intervention in September this year. The letter advises that if the options above do not suit the participant, they may contact the Department to have the overpayment deducted from their next ACRES payments, rather than the ANC payment”. The correspondence adds that participants must contact the Department’s Accounts Division on 049-4368207, or by e-mail at acresoverpayments@agriculture.gov.ie, to make repayment arrangements. It states that if no contact is made, the ACRES overpayment will be deducted from the next scheme payment due.
Scorecard summaries
There was also an update given on the long-awaited scorecard results from lands scored in 2023. The correspondence advises that participants who have a results-based action will receive their scorecard summary over the coming weeks, once their ACRES payment for 2023 has been finalised.
“These summaries will be available in the document manager in their AgFood account from the week starting 29 July 2024, followed by a hard copy by post. The scorecard summary will set out the scores achieved for each parcel, with management tips on how to maintain or improve the score achieved and hence potentially increase payments in subsequent years.”
Balancing ACRES payments commenced at the end of June and up to 9 July 2023, €26.2m has been paid to 31,808 participants.
“As there are currently 45,060 active participants who entered the scheme under Tranche 1, the number of participants still to receive their balancing payment in respect of 2023 is 13,252 and these payments will continue to issue fortnightly, as contracts clear pre-payment checks. To note, these 13,252 participants, who are awaiting their balancing payment, have already received either an advance or an interim payment, except for a small number with contract issues.”
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